Durian is known for its pungent odor, which some people find unbearable.
榴莲以其强烈的气味而闻名，有些人觉得难以忍受。
In Southeast Asia,
durian is considered the "king of fruits.
在东南亚，榴莲被誉为“水果之王”。
The taste of
durian is difficult to describe; it's a mix of sweet, creamy, and savory.
榴莲的味道很难形容，它是甜、奶油和咸的混合体。
Durian's spiky exterior is a stark contrast to its soft, custard-like flesh inside.
榴莲外面的刺状外壳与其内部柔软如奶酪般的果肉形成鲜明对比。
Despite its smell,
durian is highly valued for its nutritional benefits.
尽管味道独特，但榴莲因其营养价值而备受推崇。
Many people avoid eating
durian in closed spaces due to its strong aroma.
由于其强烈的气味，许多人避免在封闭空间里吃榴莲。
Durian-based desserts like
durian ice cream are popular in certain regions.
榴莲冰淇淋等以榴莲为原料的甜点在某些地区很受欢迎。
The fruit's seeds can also be roasted and consumed, similar to coffee beans.
这种水果的种子也可以烤熟后食用，就像咖啡豆一样。
Durian season varies depending on the region, but it's typically available from June to August.
榴莲的季节因地区而异，但通常在六月至八月间可以买到。
Some hotels in Southeast Asia have banned
durians due to complaints about the smell.
东南亚的一些酒店因为投诉其气味而禁止携带榴莲。
"Its menu offers a range of distinctive dishes, including salad topped with beer foam, durian pizza and beer-battered German pork knuckle.
“它的菜单提供了一系列独特的菜肴，包括淋有啤酒泡沫的沙拉、榴莲披萨和啤酒碎的德国猪肉指节。
"We will continue to focus on overseas direct sourcing and the upstream supply chain to bring premium fresh products like cherries from Chile, durian and black tiger shrimp from Thailand and salmon from Norway to Chinese consumers," said Zhou Xiaozhou, general manager of the fruit and vegetable procurement division at JD Fresh.
京东生鲜果蔬采购部总经理周晓洲表示：“我们将继续专注于海外直采和上游供应链，将智利的樱桃、泰国的榴莲和黑虎虾以及挪威的三文鱼等优质生鲜产品带给中国消费者。”。
Selling 300,000 yuan ($42,282) worth of durian products in 10 minutes was beyond the wildest dreams of Leron Yee Poh Soon, co-founder of Malaysian durian producer DKing.
Boosted by online word-of-mouth, Chinese shoppers are buying three times as much of Malaysian products like cookies, white coffee, durian fruits and snacks, as well as teh tarik-a local beverage, Alibaba said.
Following matcha green tea, strawberry and yogurt flavors, this year Dove produced durian and red velvet cake flavor products.
What's more, the resurrection of Shanghai Yimin No 1 Food Factory, one of China's oldest ice cream makers, was creative: the brand chose a new durian flavored sundae to announce its comeback.
That is, the durian sundae led me to Yimin's vanilla ice cream.
Thailand's Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong gifted founder of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Jack Ma with a fresh "golden pillow," the kingdom's most famous variety of durian, at a signing ceremony on Thursday.
Alibaba has signed a durian deal worth $428 million with the Thai government.
The "golden pillow" durian, Thailand's most well-known exported variety, has been sold on Alibaba's online supermarket on Wednesday, a day before Ma signed four memorandums of understanding with the Thai government on trade, investment, support for e-commerce and tourism.
Han said that Thai durian has transformed from a niche fruit to a "top stream" product in the Chinese market.
At the ongoing 26th China (Hainan) International Winter Trade Fair for Tropical Agricultural Products held in Haikou, capital of south China's island province Hainan, a diverse array of products including durian from Thailand, coffee from Rwanda and rice from Cambodia has drawn the attention of visitors.
There is an increasing demand from Chinese consumers for high-quality, natural and organic foods, and Malaysia has a wealth of agricultural and food resources such as frozen durian, bird's nest, coffee and more to meet the needs of the Chinese market," he said.
“中国消费者对高质量、天然和有机食品的需求日益增长，而马来西亚拥有丰富的农业和食品资源，如冷冻榴莲、燕窝、咖啡等，能够满足中国市场的需求，”他说。
As a cross-border e-commerce enterprise, it imports infant and maternity products, cosmetics, nutritional products, wines, durian and steaks, among other goods, straight from ASEAN member states.
To ensure the product quality of Musang King durian — one of Mayi's bestsellers — it established a 50,000-square-meter cold chain warehouse in Qinzhou Port Area in the China (Guangxi) Pilot FTZ, and a central kitchen in China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, where durian is processed and made into byproducts.
China and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are deepening their trade ties to make the most of rising demand for regional farm products like durian, a fruit whose popularity in China is soaring.
Before their transaction ended, more visitors thronged the pavilion to buy fresh Musang King durian.
"Mostly grown in Malaysia and Thailand, durian has emerged as a prominent symbol of both the booming China-ASEAN cooperation and China's vast market potential.
The China market accounted for 91 percent of the world's demand for durian in the past two years, according to an HSBC report.
All the durian products we brought here were sold out.
Sharon Yan, executive deputy general manager of Guangxi Mayi Imported Goods Supply Chain Management Co Ltd, a domestic exhibitor at the CAEXPO, said: "We brought seven durian varieties to the event.
In the past, improving living standards and consumption upgrade in China had created an appetite for the delicious durian in spite of its smell.
"Consumption increased year after year, and now durian ranks among the top fruits with the highest import value in China.
That's why we entered the durian business, hoping to reduce intermediary procurement processes and thereby the price.
"The firm offers finance, Customs declaration, warehouse and logistics services for the durian supply chain.
It established a 50,000-square-meter cold chain warehouse in the Qinzhou Port Area in China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and a central kitchen in the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, where durian is processed and made into byproducts.
The company's inspection teams travel to ASEAN member states regularly to enrich its durian import channels and stabilize the product quality and prices.
In 2022, Mayi imported 5,000 metric tons of durian and durian raw materials, with an import value of 400 million yuan, up 100 percent and 60 percent year-on-year, respectively.
That encouraged ASEAN member countries to strive to export more farm products with higher quality, including durian, coffee and palm oil.
We are pleased that our durian and durian-based products are received well by the Chinese market.
In this episode, China Daily reporter Zheng Yiran talked with exhibitors from Malaysia and enjoyed tasty fruits such as different kinds of durian and its products.
The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), a key platform to promote and facilitate the flow of goods between China and ASEAN, has witnessed Vietnamese durian, Thai mangosteen and Indonesian coffee becoming sought-after items among Chinese consumers over the past 20 years.
Kang Lili, an avid durian lover, has been treating herself to delectable Thai durians lately, overlooking their price tags.
Known as the "king of fruits" in Southeast Asia, the durian has gained increasing popularity among Chinese consumers due to its rich texture and unique flavor.
However, the price decline of durians is now poised to bring joy to a larger community of durian lovers.
The long transportation time and high costs made entering the western Chinese market difficult, and customers there had to bear higher durian prices.
This durian train has reduced costs, as well as losses during transportation," Deng said, adding that these factors can ultimately benefit more customers.
Pornlert Chanto, the owner of a durian orchard in Thailand, hailed the launch of the corridor.
Imported durian has flooded into China through the port.
By the end of May this year, over 5,700 TEUs of durian had been imported via Nansha Port.
It takes four days for fresh Thai durian to arrive at Nansha Port, and only 1.5 hours to unload and transport the fruit to the largest fruit wholesale market in South China, said Chen Xi, deputy director of Nansha Customs.
Describing the RCEP as "a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership," Pascual said the Philippines had secured enhanced market access for its key products such as preserved pineapples, durian, chocolate and ignition wiring sets.
This durian train has reduced costs, as well as losses during the transportation," Deng said.
In 2022, China imported 825,000 tons of durian, of which 780,000 tons came from Thailand, according to customs data.
Describing RCEP as "a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership," Pascual said the Philippines had secured enhanced market access for its key products such as preserved pineapples, durian, chocolate, and ignition wiring sets.
Shao Yichao, 64, is a seasoned durian checker in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan and a key distribution hub for imported fruits.
The tropical fruit durian, known as the "King of Fruits" and also for its infamous stink, green, large thorns or spikes and high-end price tag, is ubiquitous in China as access to the vast Chinese market has become easier for exporters in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, imported fruit market insiders said.
In terms of durian consumption globally, China lags only Indonesia and Malaysia now as domestic production of tropical fruits is limited, necessitating imports.
With the gradual implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership pact, the largest global free trade agreement, and the deepening of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, Thai durian exports to China are expected to surge, said Wanlada Ratanapanich, consul of commercial section at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Ratanapanich said China is the most important export destination for durian growers in Thailand.
According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, in 2022, a wide range of fruits worth $4.41 billion were exported to China, with durian, mangosteen and longan being the top three.
Prices of durian have dropped considerably after the COVID-19 pandemic control measures were optimized in China, making the fruit affordable for many Chinese consumers, she said.
The company operates more than 30 plants to process and sell more than 20 varieties of fruits, including durian.
According to Yicai, a Chinese business news outlet, durian dominated the imported fruits market in China in 2022, with a share of $4.02 billion on a volume of 825,000 tons, double that of 2014.
This led to a surge in imports of products like dried durian slices and durian-flavored foods from the Philippines since April.
"Chinese retailers and catering firms have shown a strong interest in durian products.
For instance, Wumart group, a prominent retailer in northern China, said demand for fresh durian products has been growing significantly since April, with sales up 70 percent year-on-year, with most imports coming in from northern Thailand and some parts in Vietnam.
"The durian represents tropical fruits.
BOAO, Hainan — Whether it be durian from Thailand, bananas from the Philippines, passion fruit from Vietnam, longan from Cambodia or coffee from Malaysia, more and more agricultural products from ASEAN countries are being well-received by Chinese households, thanks to better China-ASEAN cooperation in agriculture.
"There are various transport means for Thai durian to enter the Chinese market.
Momentum seen after nation optimizes pandemic prevention, control measuresBOAO, Hainan — With the Philippines beginning to ship fresh durian to China in March, 29-year-old Jomar Abdon, a Filipino durian grower, called access to the enormous Chinese market a bonanza.
Djauhari Oratmangun, ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to China, said he heard that durian is being planted in Hainan this year, and people in ASEAN countries love to eat durian, and both sides can take this opportunity to effectively create a consumer market for agricultural products.
Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesia's ambassador to China, said he heard that durian is being planted in Hainan this year, and people in ASEAN countries love it.
"Since the RCEP went into effect on Jan 1, 2022, especially after China recently allowed the importation of a number of Vietnamese agricultural products such as durian, bird's nest, sweet potato and passion fruit, Vietnamese enterprises nationwide, including our company, have found big opportunities to export new products to their northern neighbor," Dinh Gia Nghia, deputy general director of Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Joint Stock Co in the northern Ninh Binh province, told Xinhua News Agency in December.
"I have just sold five (metric) tons of durian to traders for nearly 80,000 Vietnamese dong ($3.41) per kilogram, doubling the price in the same period last year (2021), thanks to the adoption of stricter cultivation standards," said Nguyen Van Hai, a veteran farmer in the Cai Lay district in the southern province of Tien Giang.
According to Nguyen Van Man, director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang Province, the fact that Vietnamese durian has been exported to China via official channels since September is a contributing factor to higher prices and bigger volumes of the fruit shipped to China.
The Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said Vietnam earned nearly $50 million from exporting durian to China in October, skyrocketing 4,120 percent against the same period in 2021, an unprecedented increase in the history of the Vietnamese durian sector.
"We are planning to increase the number of certified fruit cultivation areas, and enhancing the processing scale to have a sufficient supply of durian for export year-round, not just in season," Vu Ngoc Huy, deputy general director of Dung Thai Son Import-Export Trading Joint Stock Co in the central highlands province of Dak Lak, told Xinhua in December.
By the end of 2022, the company had 17 facilities for fruit purchasing and packing in Dak Lak and Tien Giang with more than 200 workers, Huy said, adding that its output of processed durian for export is about 50 tons a day.
Van Xuan Phat Import-Export Co in Ho Chi Minh City is also focusing on exporting fruit, especially durian and passion fruit, to China and other RCEP members.
"On Sept 17, we exported the first three containers of durian.
In 2023, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China may increase by 20 to 30 percent, mainly thanks to smoother transport, quicker Customs clearance, lower tariffs under the RCEP agreement and e-commerce development, Nghia said, adding that his company is looking forward to exporting frozen durian to the neighboring country.
"Besides durian, other fruits such as passion fruit, banana, pineapple and mango still have many opportunities for export growth to China, as long as they meet the requirements of Chinese partners, like complying with full and strict procedures from planting to harvesting, preserving and packing," he said.
The Agency of Foreign Trade under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade shared Nghia's view, saying that fruit and vegetable export turnover is expected to become bigger in the future because durian has been allowed to enter China, the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, under official quotas since September.
With lower tariffs, growing markets, member countries see long-lasting mutual benefitsHONG KONG — Commenting on his doubled income from the sale of five metric tons of durian to export traders in December, Nguyen Van Hai, a veteran farmer in Vietnam's southern Tien Giang province, attributed such growth to the adoption of stricter cultivation standards.
The Philippines is China's largest source of banana and pineapple imports, with coconut, avocado and frozen fruits entering the Chinese market one after another, said Shu, adding that fresh durian will be exported to China soon.
HONG KONG - Commenting on his doubled income from the sale of five tons of durian to export traders in December, Nguyen Van Hai, a veteran farmer in Vietnam's southern Tien Giang province, attributed such growth to the adoption of stricter cultivation standards.
A total of 543 metric tons of fruit, including bananas, longan and durian, which had been loaded in Vientiane, Laos, departed from Mohan Railway Station to their destinations across the country after inspection and quarantine.
According to China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co Ltd, the imported fruits, totaling 543 tonnes, included 351 tons of bananas from Laos, and 154 tons of longan and 38 tons of durian from Thailand.
Durian, coffee, snacks and various delicacies exhibited by Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group were audience favorites during the event.
- From Thai durian to Vietnamese coffee to Indonesian waffle, an increasing variety of agricultural products, leisure items and industrial supplies from ASEAN countries have gained easier access to the Chinese market since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into force at the beginning of the year.
"Consumer awareness of ASEAN products is increasing, as is people's enthusiasm for consumption," Li Wenqing, director of a Nanning supermarket, said, adding that sales of the most popular fresh durian can exceed 3 million yuan a year and sometimes hit nearly 100,000 yuan in a single day.
"I have introduced white coffee, Musang King durian products and other Malaysian specialties during my livestreaming sessions.
Now they can recognize many more durian varieties," said Nisachol Thaithong.
These diplomats promoted such products as Vietnamese coffee, Thailand's latex pillows and Malaysia's Musang King durian to domestic consumers and interacted with audiences online by partnering with a TikTok livestreamer.
Distinctive treat sees supplies from Thailand, Malaysia on riseChinese consumers' appetite for durian, a tropical fruit known for its pungent smell, has been rising over the past few years.
Since 2019, China has imported more fresh durian than cherries in quantity, cementing its place as the king of imported fruit for China.
COVID-19 affected the supply chain for an extended time in 2020, but the pandemic didn't lessen Chinese consumers' love for durian, and import volumes have increased continuously since then.
In 2017, China imported 224,400 metric tons of durian.
Last year, fresh fruits in the order of import volume were durian, cherries, bananas, mangosteens and grapes.
Nearly 90 percent of durian imported by China came from Thailand, according to the Ministry of Commerce in Thailand.
China-based Joyvio Group, an online vendor of fruit and the agricultural arm of Legend Holdings Corp, said it imports more than 3,000 large containers of durian from Thailand and Malaysia annually.
In 2021, the volume of durian that Joyvio imported increased more than 50 percent year-on-year.
Durian sold best in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Shenyang, Liaoning province, the company said.
China has licensed importation of durian from Thailand and Malaysia.
Most fresh durian is imported from Thailand via ocean shipping, and frozen durian is mainly imported from Malaysia via airfreight, according to industry reports.
China's demand for durian has increased durian cultivation and fueled a price increase in Thailand.
China is the largest export market for Thai durian, and the fruit tops among China's fruit imports in value as well as quantity, the ministry said.
Moving durian from Thailand to China takes some 10 days via ocean shipping.
Qinzhou Port, part of Beibu Gulf Port in Guangxi, has been designated as the reception area for a large part of the nation's imported fruit since July 2017, when it started to receive imported durian from Thailand.
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